Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-03-31
LAND PLASTER.
AN ESSAY NOT PHILosoPHIC BUT Ex-
PERIMENTAI., BY REV. K. e. cLoUGH.

When boy nine years, was )iv-
/ ing in Seneca county, New York,
which is unexcelled for fertility, ly-
ing as it does on the great blue
limestone range Of the Empire state.
The majority of farmers were Penn
sylvania Germans, who have no
superiors as farmers. In the spring
of l849, | saw some men on the
finest managed farms in the country,
making a great dust, aud wanted TO
know what kind Of seed men sowed
that would make such a smoke, and
was told that it was plaster. j knew
that houses were plastered, but /
couldn't see why fields should be.
Then | was told that it made things
grow in a dry time. Then | saw
it put on vines in the garden. As |
grew older ! came to know that all
the thrifty farmers usek 1t, and as
the road to the plaster mills on the
east shore of the Cayuga Lake lay
by our school house, the event of
the winter was the plaster hauling
season. By the time reached my
teens, my guardian moved into the
country and began to use, and |
practiced with it on almost every
thing, and at all seasons Of the year.
Every farmer then used it on corn
and grass, sowing 100 lbs. to the acre.
In 1856, / came to Wisconsin from
Wyoming county, New Y FORK, where
| also found that it was used by all
the thrifty farmers. My uncle then,
one of the best farmers in Monroe
county, took me to see an expert
mental acre of clover. Pointing
with pride to it he said, "You see
we can raise clover as far north as
this; this will be country yet" l
said to him, "Uncle, if you would
do as they do in New York,
SOW plaster, you would get
twice as much as you have there,
and it would be 50 heavy that it
would not freeze out 80 badly" lie
Immediately began an agitation and
a carload was brought in, and now
plaster is the staple Of trade by the
station agents Of many towns. |
said to him just before he died,
GLOW long have you used plaster?"
.'Ten years" "When do you use it?"
"On my new seeding" GLOW much
do Won user" "From SO to 100 lbs.
to the acre, average ! 90 lbs" What
benefit has il bceH?' "My farm is
better than when new" Glow often
can you get q good seeding by SOW
ing OF new seeding?" ''Nine times
out of ten. tell you no man can
afford to farm without it." "Why,"
said he, "look up there at the corn
field don't you see difference in
size in that corn-why this side Is
twice az large as the other. | had
400 lbs. of plaster left five years ago,
and as they said plaster was of no
use on timothy, | tried it and you
can see it in the improvement Of my
land"
WHERE TO SOW PLASTER TO HAVE IT
DO THE MOST GOOD.
There are many farms badly run
in this part of the state, the top soil
has been washed off. This spring
as there are no new meadows, there
must be much new seeding and no
one can afford to lose any; so, sow
plaster on your clover seeding on all
the fields that are worn, do not put
it on corn. Ashes are better. Plaster
will make corn a week later, if it
does anything for it. Sow all your
plaster on your clover fields. Clover
il the great fertilizer as well as of
value for stock hay. Double your
yield of clover, you can do it, if
you will only try. | have seen it
done for 80 years. Don't pick out
your richest soil, most fertile fields
uear the barn, but 60 to your thin
soils, your poorest fields.
WHEN TO SOW 1T.
If on an old meadow, anytime.
But as ammonia is the natural food
of clover, about the time corn plant
ing is over the clover seeding is
nicely up, and on thin soils any
number OF the little plants begin to
turn, yet low from hunger and thirst
and will starye TO death unless
nursed. Now, take a still morning
and SOW your plaster. If the wind
blows, it will make your sowing I'M
even. BY the time your grain Is
ready to cut, your clover is as high
as the stubble and you have a great
math of it for winter if you don't
pasture it, and if you do, you will
get moro than the value of your
fertilizer in extra pasture, while you
will get at least five tons Of hay
more, likely seven; when without il
you will got 3 tons. And then the
. ,.,,roago1 fsrtilit,. of tho coil IL ba